Rotary operative fastener



Fb. 2, 1943. F. E, .lo-HNSON 2,309,732v

vROTARY OPERATIVE FASTENER A Filed April 16, 1940 F19- 1. @t en waag.

.with the aperture II. gradually rising cam surface I3 extending from a'low point adjacent one of the slots I2 and con- Patemed Feb. 2, 1943 warn-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE] asoa'zsz A 1 .ROTARY OPERATIVE FAs'rENEn.

Franks. Johnson, Malden-Mass... minor to United-Carr'Fastener; Corporation, Cambridge,

6 Claims.

Thisvinvention relates to improvements inrotary-,operative type fasteners and installations thereof.

the, drawing, ,which `illustrates a preferred embodiment ofmy invention:

Fig..1 isa rearfelevation of aninstallation-embodyingmy invention; 1 Fig.4 2 is a front elevation vshown in Fig; l; o

Fig. 3` isl a side elevation of4 the installationshown-inFigs. .land 2;? l

of the Vinstallation ventinterference between these portions during fastening and unfastening rotation of the parts. ,Y Each .of the narrow portions I has-a flat portion I6` at'its outermost free end disposed jin a plane substantially'parallelto and beneath, the general plane of. they ,circularportionv 9.1- The spring Figi-,4 s-asectionaiview-taken along the-line e v Y Referring 'tothev drawing, I- have showny aro- Fig.' '5`is a sectional View talienalong the :line a tary type offfastenerparticularly adapted `for use.

tener-illustratedcomprises two units, one of which' .I-shall'term a spring member and ythe', otherof@4 4 -which I shall call a rotary-member. The spring- -member I is securedon onesidefof a plate-like support 2-and the rotary member- 3 iscarri'edby Y by afrustoj-oonicalwall lG-.afnd the plate '4""ha's' an opening -1` through which. therotary member v projects.' The opening 'lis preferably surrounded by an en'lbossmenty 8 which enables 'thetsupport aircraft manufacture but `capable of use for anypurpose where it is ,desired -to secure to'- I gather; twov rigid lplate-like *,x'nembers. The fas-i.,

*member isfsecured in `Permanent assembly with fthe plate 2 preferably through 'rivet members,V A each of lwhich provides a.v head j-Il fat" one end 'spaced slightly from the flatportiong I6, va shank. portion I8 extending through-the fiat'portion I6, a; shoulder I9 and a spaced headflerat anopposite end `received within acountersu'nlr hole 20 in-jtheplate Las-shown in Fig: 4.v VEfahjof the` narrow portions I0 has a jreversev-bend'fportion '2l Aintermediate theflat. portionjIS-at it'sjfpoint of junction with the. circularportion :The sides 422 .and 23' of the reverse-abend portion v2|Y are rspaced substantially one-lfromj anotherl and exf tend.` -in :ny-preferred ,fortnig-vl at fsubst'antiallyl a 90,angle relative to the-generalplanes of thecir-A cula'l.` lJOl't'ion 9 and the"fiat-.-portions I6.' As ay result ofztheinherent resilier)cyr-,of Vthe reversebend-portions 2| ,the spring membermayfbe compressed during; fastening andv unfastening of the parts.V a

a-plate-like'support't ,The plate 2, inmyprefen-ed installation, has an aperture 'surrounded f They rotary member'l comprises a head portion '24 which is larger vin diameter than the` opening 4 to vpresenta substantiallyzilushouter surface assembly. l -4 .Thefspringmemberof when Vthe lparts of the `installation are in final I installation is preferably formed from one piece of sheet metal and, in my preferred form, has an elongated bodyproo v, vlding a main body portion in the' form of a gen-k, erally" circular portion 9 4and narrow elongated portions III-I0 (Fig. 1)l extending-'from opposed sides of the circular'portion 9. Thecircular por-v tion I' has a substantially'circular aperture II and a'pair of slots `I2-LI'2 extending from opposite sides ofthe aperture, as most clearly shown Y Y inV Fig. 1. The circular portion 9 'is embossed. on

opposite sides of thev aperture II and theseem bossments preferably extend in arcs concentric Each embossment has a tinuing to a high-point I4 adjacent-the other slot.

installationare finally assembled in order to prerotated;

.'Ifof thel plate 4 and a-shanlr portion-25. The

13 shank vportion 25,' which issmaller in diameter. '1" than the opening, of the plate 4, hasgan annularv groove 2l spaced from the head '24 adapted to receive a split ring 21 whereby the rotary member is held in'assembly with the plate4. A pin membei' 2l Isdriven or otherwise secured in an aperture'of the shank so that opposite ends'of the pinextend beyondv opposite surfaces of the shank in 'a direction transverse to the normal axis of the shank.'1he head 24 has a slot 29 to receive a suitable implement by which the device may be Y To assemble the parts of the installation', the

plate 4 is brought into superposed relation with theplate 2 so that the aperture 1 is in approximate alignment with the aperture 5, behind which is located the aperture Il in the spring member. As the shank 25 passes through-theaper-v ture 5, it is guided by its rounded nose through the aperture Il even though theparts may be slightly misaligned. During this operation the pin member 24 will pass through the' slots I2-I2, if aligned therewith, or may be turnedv into proper alignment to pass therethrough. `'After the pin* has-passed through the slots I 2-I2, the .rotary member is turned in a clockwisel direction causing the pin 2l to engage over the cam surfaces t I3, at-the same time compressing the springmember by moving the side portions 22 and 23 of one of thereverse-bend portions 2i toward each other thereby separating the side portions 22 and 23 of 'bration.

the other reverse-bend portion. When the ends of the pin arrive at the recesses I 5--i5g the spring member, because of its tendency to return to normal shape, presses the spring against the pin so that it enters the recesses and is held against accidental rotation by vibration once the parts are fastened together. 'I'he high portions M-Il provide a. stop to prevent the rotary member being turned beyond the point where the pin enters the locking recesses. The fastener may be unlocked by reversing the action hereinabove described.

My improved fastener is simplein construction and the parts thereof may be quickly assembled with their respective supporting plates. Also, the fastener is strong and durable and provides by reason of the reverse-bend portions hereinabove described sunicient resiliency in the spring member to effect a permanently positive fastening even though subjected to constant vi- Although I have illustrated and described a preferredembogliment of my. invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. AA spring member for fastener cooperationA with a rotating member of the type having a shank and -at least one projection extending from said shank, said spring being formed from sheet metal and providing a main body portion having an aperture adapted to receive a portion of the shank and the projection of the rotating member, said body providing a depression and a stop adjacent said aperture for fastener cooperation with said projection duringv rotative movement,

land a U-shaped portion intermediate said aperture and one of the longitudinal ends of-.said spring, said U-.shaped portion having spaced side elements and a bight connecting said elements, said U-shaped portion having its bight disposed out of the general plane of said body portion with the planes of said side elements substantially transverse to the general plane of said body portion to increase the resiliency of said spring during normal fastening and unfastening rotation of the parts, and the longitudinal ends of said strip being substantially parallel to the general plane of said body portion and adaptedto be secured to a supporting panel.

, 2. A fastener member for cooperation with a rotating member of the type having a shank and a transversely extending projection extending from opposite sides thereof; said fastener member comprising a base portion provided with spaced openings for the reception of attaching means for attaching said base to a support. a stud-receiving cam portion spaced outwardly from said base portion and intermediate said openingsfsaid cam portion being formed with a rotating member yof the `type having a shank and a transversely extending projection extending from opposite sides thereof; said fastener being formed from sheet metal and providingna base portion adapted to be attached to one face of a support, a stud-receiving camportion supported in outwardly spaced relation relative tofsaid' .70 be fastened.

central aperture to receive the end of said rotating member and oppositely disposed radial elongations of said aperture adapted to admit the projections on said rotating member, the marginal portions of said aperture and elongations being outwardly dished and shaped to provide permanently rigid cam means on oppositesides of said aperture and elongations, the cam means on each side of, said aperture comprising an upwardly sloping cam surface starting -from' one side of one radial extension, an upwardly extending stop means adjacent the opposite radial elongation. and a seat for said projection intermediate said upwardly sloping cam and stop, and

a U-shaped connecting strip connecting said base and cam portion.

5. In a fastener for cowling or the like, a fastening element comprising an elongated strip of stamped and hardened sheet metal having a rigid central portion with an aperture adapted to receive a cooperating rotary fastening element,

means for securing a-part of said fastening element at spaced points to a part to be fastened, said central portion being drawn and rigid in all directions around the margins of said aperture and the marginal portions thereof defining said aperture being deformed to provide rigid cam and seat meansfor interlocking engagement with fastening means on such rotaryfastening ele--v ment in response to turningmovement of the latter, and a U-shaped connecting strip connecting said central portion and part secured to the Dart to be fastened.

6. In a fastener for cowlingv or the like, a fastening element comprising an elongated strip of stamped and quench-hardened sheet steel having a rigid central portion `with an aperture adapted to receive a cooperating rotary fastening element, said central portion having oppositely disposed portions denning radial extensions of said aperture to admit radial arms of said rotary element, means for securing a part of said fastening element at spaced points to a part to be fastened, said central Portion being -drawn and rigid in all directions around the.

margins of said aperture, the marginal portions thereof defining said aperture being deformed to provide oppositely disposed, inclined rigid cams extending outwardly from corresponding sides of said radial openings, rigid humps at the tops .of said cams. oppositely disposed rigid radial grooves next to said humps for receiving and holding suchradial arms, and oppositely, disposed rigid abutments next to said grooves to prevent rotation of said arms beyond said grooves, the path of rotationbetween the axis of. saidl openings and the axis of said grooves covering an angle substantially greater than yand a U-shaped connecting strip connecting said central portion and part secured to the part to rFRANK E1 JOHNSON. 

